Katniss the Cattail by Valerie Estelle Frankel An Unauthorized Guide to Names and Symbols in Suzanne Collins' The Hunger Games

Who was Cinna? What do the hawthorn and primrose symbolize? Or President Snow’s roses and Peeta’s bread? What about Katniss’s last name? Bringing details from myths, herbal guides, military histories, and the classics, English professor and award-winning pop culture author Valerie Estelle Frankel sheds light on the deeper meanings behind Panem’s heroes and villains in this hottest of YA trilogies. In her series, Collins not only weaves a heroic tale of deep complexity but harnesses the power of Shakespeare and Rome to retell an ancient epic of betrayal, violence, and glory on the stage of an apocalyptic future. The perfect treat for fans of all ages. Everything Hunger Games, packed into one volume. From Alma Coin to Wiress you’ll learn about • Why roses are a flower of death • How eighteen of the characters are used in Shakespeare’s plays • Katniss’s nickname Catnip • The meaning of “The Hanging Tree” • Peeta’s pearl and Katniss’s salvation • Effie the saint and Finnick the Irish hero

Valerie Estelle Frankel is the author of From Girl to Goddess: The Heroine's Journey in Myth and Legend and Buffy and the Heroine's Journey (McFarland 2010, 2012). Her projects on fandom, called Harry Potter: Still Recruiting and Teaching with Harry Potter will be coming in 2012. Shorter works have appeared in over 100 anthologies and journals including Inside Joss' Dollhouse, Illuminating Torchwood, and Rosebud Magazine. Her parody, Henry Potty and the Pet Rock, was winner of the Indie Excellence Award and a USA Book News National Best Book. Once a lecturer at San Jose State University, she's a frequent speaker on fantasy, myth, pop culture, and the heroine's journey, with many fans of all ages. Come explore her latest research at http://vefrankel.com.